ANGRY organisers of a top folk festival have hit out after claiming they have been refused arts funding because the event does not feature "world music".

But cash-strapped Lancashire County Council has said few funds are available for one-off events after £50,000 was lopped of its arts budget.

Phil Brown, who is head of expressive arts at Witton Park High School in Blackburn, organises the top event with Steve Burke, of Clitheroe.

Their plea for funds from Lancashire County Council has hit the wrong note with arts chiefs, and fuming Phil has critisised them for failing to support an event which he claims has "Lancashire written all over it."

The Clitheroe Folk Festival, now in its third year, attracts thousands of music enthusiasts to the town from across Britain, Europe and Ireland.

"The festival has Lancashire written all over it, but the county council has said it doesn't support folk music. When I challenged them over their refusal last year, they said it was because the event didn't include so-called world music. But it has a much bigger remit than just folk. It includes blues, jazz, street theatre and dance, for example. "Up to 5,000 people in any one day might be involved in the festival, with tourists from all over the North West and inquiries from all over the world. It is an area of concern that our own county council won't support us," Phil said.

"We are actively promoting Lancashire throughout the world via this festival. I know the county council is strapped for cash, but a small gesture would have done," he added.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council confirmed that folk music was not a priority for grant aid.

"Support for arts in the Ribble Valley is given via the borough council's own arts plan. Of course we recognise folk music, but in terms of priority it is fairly low. We prefer to support music infrastructure rather than one-off events and this year has proved particularly difficult because we lost £50,000 from our arts budget," she said.

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